Streaming broadcast audio content often includes a series of songs that are presented to the user for their listening enjoyment. The songs may be serially presented one song after another in an uninterrupted manner, and/or may have intervening non-musical segments between individual songs. For example, if the broadcast audio content is provided by a public radio broadcast station, one or more songs may be played with intervening advertisement, commentary from show hosts, a news report, or the like. On the other hand, a pay-for-listening service may present the series of songs in an uninterrupted manner with few, or even no, intervening non-musical segments.
Such broadcast audio content is available from a variety of over the air sources. An example freely accessible broadcast audio content is a music-format radio broadcast station that is broadcasting the series of songs over an amplitude modulation (AM) or a frequency modulated (FM) radio frequency (RF) wireless band, referred to as an over the air or wireless band. Many different types of media devices, often referred to as AM or FM radios, are configured to present (play) the received broadcast audio content as the audio content is received by the media device over the RF airwaves. Typically, there is no possible way for particular songs to be replayed or skipped over since the broadcast audio content is being received and played by the AM/FM radio in real time.
Other sources of broadcast wireless audio content are available. For example, satellite radio provides the broadcast audio content from an overhead satellite. Typically, such satellite-based services are provided to a particular user's media device for a fee (service charge) or as part of a promotion (such as when a new automobile is purchased). Here, specially designed media devices, commonly referred to as satellite radios, are configured to receive satellite signals having the broadcast audio content. Such satellite radios are typically cryptographically secured to prevent free public access to the broadcast audio content. Further, since a user typically pays for receiving the satellite broadcast audio content, the series of songs are often provided with no, or at least very few and/or short duration, intervening non-musical segments.
In some broadcast media environments, both audio/visual content and audio-only content is broadcast to a media device. Such media devices, commonly referred to as set top boxes or receivers, are configured to receive such broadcast audio/visual content, wherein the video portion is presentable to a user on a display (e.g., television/TV, monitor, screen, or other display device) and the audio portions is presented by sound reproducing devices, such as the speakers of a TV and/or a plurality of speakers controlled by a surround sound receiver system or the like. That is, the video content and the associated audio content are synchronously presented to the user. The broadcast audio/visual content may be provided to the media devices using a suitable wire based content delivery system that employs a coaxial cable and/or a fiber optic cable. Alternatively, the broadcast audio/visual content may be received by the media in a suitable wireless medium, such as a FM signal or a satellite signal.
For example, a satellite provider or cable provider may broadcast a large number of different audio/visual content events to the user's media device. Typically, the media device receives many different audio/visual content events at the same time on different channels. Examples of audio/visual content include movies, television programming, sporting events, news casts, documentaries, or the like. Additionally, the satellite provider or cable provider may provide a plurality of audio-only content, similar to the over the air or wireless broadcast audio content provided by AM, FM, or satellite broadcast providers.
Because of the processing time required to receive, process, and format the received video portion of the broadcast audio/visual content, these audio/visual content receiving media devices typically employ a buffer that temporarily stores the received broadcast audio/visual content so that a continuous uninterrupted stream of audio/visual content may be provided to the components of the media content presentation system (such as the TV and/or surround sound system). Such buffers are typically configured to store several minutes, or even longer durations, or the processed audio/visual content.
The user may operate the media device provisioned with such a buffer to perform various presentation operations, commonly referred to as “trick” functions. An example trick function is referred to as a “pause” function wherein presentation of the video content is paused. That is, presentation of the stream of video content (serial presentation of a series of video frames, wherein each video frame is presented for a brief predefined duration of time) is halted when a pause operation is initiated. During the pause operation, a currently presented video frame or a selected video frame is shown on the display of the TV for an indefinite duration. When the user ends the pause operation, presentation of the video resumes. During the pause operation, the corresponding audio portion is also halted such that when the pause operation is ended, presentation of the audio content resumes in synchronism with presentation of the video content.
Another trick function is the “rewind” function. With a rewind function, previously presented video frames are re-accessed from the buffer and are presented in a backward manner on the display of the TV. That is, the user sees a backward or reverse presentation of the video content. During such rewind operations, the audio portion is halted such that when the video rewind operation ends, presentation of the audio content resumes in synchronism with presentation of the video content.
The speed at which the rewind presentation is made may vary based on the configuration of the media device and/or selection by the user. For example, a slow motion rewind operation may be selected by the user wherein the backward presentation of the retrieved video frames presents a slow speed presentation (slower than normal speed presentation) of the video content. Alternatively, a fast rewind operation may be selected by the user wherein the backward presentation of the retrieved video frames is a fast speed presentation (faster than normal speed presentation) of the video content.
Yet another video presentation alternative is a “jump back” function, wherein previously presented video content is again presented beginning at some predefined duration back in time. Here, a previously presented video frame is accessed from the buffer. The accessed video frame is selected based upon some predefined duration, such as one or more minutes, several seconds, or the like. Thus, when this jump back operation is initiated by the user, presentation of the video content is simply repeated at a point identified by the predefined duration. During the jump back operation, presentation of the audio content also jumps back by a corresponding duration so as to resume in synchronism with presentation of the video content.
In the event that some duration of the processed audio/visual content which proceeds the currently presented audio/visual content has been stored in the buffer, one or more forward presentation operations may be available to the user. For example, if the user has previously paused presentation of the audio/visual content by five minutes, then approximately five minutes of processed audio/visual content that has not yet been presented will be stored in the buffer. Alternatively, or additionally, a rewind function may have been previously performed such that a corresponding duration of previously presented audio/visual content is stored in the buffer. Accordingly, the user may fast forward through the audio/visual content so that a higher speed presentation of the video content is provided. During the fast forward presentation operation, the audio portion is halted such that when the fast forward operation is ended, presentation of the audio content also resumes in synchronism with presentation of the video content.
Another forward presentation operation is the “jump forward” operation wherein the a portion of the video content is skipped over (not presented) by some predefined duration. Here, a stored video frame that is ahead of a currently presented video frame is accessed from the buffer. Presentation then continues beginning with the accessed video frame such that a portion of the video content between the currently presented frame and the accessed video frame is simply not presented. The accessed video frame is selected based upon some predefined duration, such as one or more minutes, several seconds, or the like. During the jump forward operation, presentation of the audio content is also advanced by the corresponding duration so as to resume in synchronism with presentation of the video content.
The above-described video presentation trick functions provide satisfactory user-selectable functions for presentation of audio/visual content because the user performing these various operations is able to immediately view the video content. That is, the user receives immediate visual feedback when they initiate one or more of the above described audio/visual content trick functions. For example, the user may want to fast forward through a commercial, advertisement, or the like using the fast forward function, the jump forward function, or a combination thereof. The user immediately understands if they have advanced presentation of the audio/visual content sufficiently far enough so that they may avoid presentation of the commercial. Once the commercial has been passed over, the user may operate their media device to resume presentation of the video content.
However, the above-described trick functions for rewinding back through, or moving forward though, broadcast audio-only content does not work in a satisfactory manner. For example, the user may wish to again listen to a currently presented song or a previously presented portion of that song. If the user initiates an audio/visual content rewind operation, presentation of the audio content is typically halted. Thus, the user is not able to perceive how far back in time that the audio content has been rewound. As another example, if the user initiates an audio/visual content jump back operation, it is likely that the currently presented song will not be re-presented at its beginning. It is even possible that replay of the audio content will begin before the conclusion of the previously presented song.
Similarly, the user may wish to no longer listen to a currently presented song, and advance to the next song in the broadcast audio-only content. If the user initiates an audio/visual content fast forward operation, presentation of the audio content is typically halted. Thus, the user is not able to perceive how far the audio content has been advanced. As another example, the user may initiate a jump forward operation. Here, it is likely that a beginning portion of the next song will be missed since the amount of the advancement in presentation of the audio content is based on the predefined duration of the jump forward operation. Or, multiple audio/visual content jump forward operations may be required to get past the currently presented song and into the next song in the broadcast audio content.
Accordingly, there is a need in the arts to provide audio-only content trick functions in media devices that are configured to receive broadcast audio/visual content and audio-only content. That is, when the media device is presenting audio-only content, the media device enables the user to advance past a currently presented song to the beginning of a next song, to replay a currently presented song from its beginning, and/or to access a previously presented song from its beginning.